How many of us can say that we are not hypocrites—that we are truly living the lives that we have always dreamt of? Most of us probably can’t, but I know a man who can definitely say that he has taken control of his life, listened to his inner voices and followed his dreams even if it were all against the norm. His name is Steve Jobs, the legend behind Apple computers. Since birth, he lived an unconventional life, but he survived the challenge.
Born as an illegitimate child, he was given up for adoption. His adoptive father never graduated from high school, and his adoptive mother did not finish college. His parents spent their life savings so that Steve could go to college, but after only a few months, he dropped out, believing that it had no value and was a waste of money. It scared him at first, but in the end, he said, “it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
”It allowed him to spend time learning the subjects that really interested him, instead of being boxed in by the cage that a formal education brings. In fact, one of the subjects he took, calligraphy, inspired the art of the Macintosh computer. He was thankful for the free meals that he received from the Hare Krishna Temple, and eventually he became a vegetarian and a Buddhist. He would also eventually start Apple with Woz from his parents’ garage.
It became a multibillion-dollar computer company, but strategic decisions later got him fired from the company he started.It seemed tragic at first, but as he said, “it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.” It allowed him to begin a new growth cycle. From there he started the NeXT computer company and Pixar animation studios.
He eventually married the woman he loved and started a family. Pixar became the most successful animation studio in the planet, and NeXT was purchased by Apple. So Steve was back with Apple, and the company ran full speed ahead.But as things were now going his way, another tragedy hit him.
This time it was life-threatening. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was told that he only had six months to live. But miraculously, the doctors discovered that his cancer was a rare type that was treatable through surgery. Once again, he survived another ordeal.
Today, he is still around to teach us that our lives are short. If we are not doing things that we love, we are only fooling ourselves. If we don’t reflect on this daily, we are living a lie. Steve loves what he does, and when he passes away, people will remember him for being really true to himself.
